Five years ago, the country marked the 200th anniversary of Washington's death on December 14, 1799. It was not surprising that this anniversary did not have the dramatic and far-reaching effect that it did on people two hundred years ago. To get some idea of how Washington's death was regarded in the 19th century, take a close look at the painting above. It is called "The Apotheosis of George Washington". It was painted on the inside of the dome of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., by Constantino Brumidi in 1865.Below it, in the large round space known as the 'rotunda', are the five famous paintings of John Trumbull. Thus, once inside the rotunda, you are not only surrounded by Washington as the central figure in Trumbull's paintings, Washignton also hovers above you, like an angel, in Brumidi's painting. Here Washington is shown sitting in majesty, flanked on the right by the Goddess of Liberty and on his left by a winged figure of Fame sounding a trumpet and holding a palm frond aloft in a symbol of victory. Thirteen women stand in a semi-circle around Washington, representing the thirteen original states. On the outer ring of the canopy, six allegorical groupings surround him, representing classical images of agriculture, arts and sciences, commerce, war, mechanics, and the sea.

   Brumidi's work reflects a vision of Washington that appealed to the American public just after his death. In the early 19th century, paintings and sculptures of Washington's celestial rise became commonplace in living rooms and public buildings all across the country. The religious connotation was clear: here was a man so virtuous and beloved that he surely had ascended to heaven, escorted honorably by classical personifications of freedom and liberty. In effect, the public's worship of Washington led to a nearly religious worship of the man himself. Washington, in effect, was seen as a god.

1. Define 'apotheosis'. (You will need a dictionary.)

2. To what did the public's worship of Washington lead?

3. Why are Lincoln and Washington pictured together above?

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Revised June 9, 2002